- Female tiger believed to have strayed from Jim Corbett National Park
- Dodged a trap set by hunters and managed to kill a 50-year-old man
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A Bengal tiger prowling near villages in northern India claimed its tenth victims last night, a day after making a narrow escape from a trap set by hunters. The female big cat, which killed its first human six weeks ago, savaged a 50-year-old man, taking bites of his leg and abdomen while he was out collecting firewood.
It is believed that the animal strayed from Jim Corbett National Park, a 200-square-mile reserve created to give the animals space to roam. It struck its latest victim outside Kalgarh village in Uttarakhand state.
On the prowl: A tiger similar to this one has been stalking the lands outside Corbett Tiger Reserve, and has killed ten people
Saket Badola, deputy director of the national park, said the tiger was scared away from its prey by fellow villagers waving metal rods and shovels, but the man had already been badly injured and later died. Hunters had almost captured the tiger a day before the latest killing, by using a calf as bait.
Mr Badola said: 'On Saturday night the tigress almost fell in trap and was close to the calf. But she did not attack the bait and left silently.' Reports that a killer tiger was on the loose began circulating in late December, when a 65-year-old man was mauled in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh state, across the border from Uttarakhand.
Since then, thousands of terrified villagers have been told to watch out for the animal and to avoid the forests. The tiger has been on the prowl across an area spanning 80 miles. 'The animal has started attacking humans because it is not getting its natural prey,' said Rupek De, chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh. 'The tigress must be tired because it is not getting adequate rest.'
He said the hunters hired to kill the animal were having trouble tracking it in dense forests, and were suffering from staffing issues after half their team did not show up for work.
Habitat: The tiger is through to have strayed from the Jim Corbett National Park, pictured
Mr De said that only three of the six men asked to track and capture the tiger actually made an appearance.
On Sunday, angry villagers seized a national forestry office, demanding protection and compensation for the families of the dead. 'We can understand the predicament of the villagers,' Mr Badola said. 'The villagers do not have toilets in their homes. They go out in the open or forest areas to answer nature's call. In this scenario it is difficult to give protection to each and every villager. We have advised them to move in groups.'
India's wild tigers are considered endangered because of rampant poaching and shrinking habitat as India undergoes breakneck development to accommodate the staggering growth of its 1.2billion people. India today has more than half of the world's remaining 3,200 tigers.
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